83 days on, PDP secretariat remains shut as factions dig in

Eighty-three days after police authorities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) placed the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under lock and key, none of the contending factions has been able to assume control of the party’s headquarters at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

The prolonged shutdown underscores the depth of the internal crisis rocking the main opposition party, with rival leaderships operating from different locations and trading legal threats, while the police continue to maintain a heavy presence at the premises.

Efforts by the two factions to take over the secretariat have so far hit a brick wall. The National Working Committee (NWC) led by Dr Tanimu Turaki (SAN) backed by the party’s governors led by Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and the National Caretaker Committee headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed be backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have both been forced to function outside the party’s official headquarters, even as they lay claim to legitimacy.

Tensions heightened last Thursday when the factional National Caretaker Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, announced at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters that his group would take over the secretariat on Monday.

The declaration immediately drew a sharp reaction from the Turaki-led group. Its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, vowed to resist any attempt to occupy the secretariat, warning that the leadership would deploy all legal means to prevent what he described as an illegal takeover.

Waiting for police clearance — Wike camp

When Daily Trust visited the PDP secretariat on Monday, the building remained firmly under police control. The barricades erected by security operatives had been reinforced, while the road directly in front of the complex in Wuse Zone 5 was blocked to vehicular traffic.

Contacted on why the Caretaker Committee did not resume as earlier announced, the National Publicity Secretary of the Wike-backed faction, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said the group was awaiting the completion of police administrative procedures.

According to him, the faction could not move into the office without formal clearance from the police.

“We are waiting for the police to conclude their administrative processes. Once that is done, they will give us the go-ahead,” Mohammed said.

He added that even after access was granted, the office would require fumigation and thorough cleaning, having remained shut for several weeks.

“It is not possible for us to resume today because the police have not finished their processes. The office has been locked for some time and needs to be cleaned. So, it is definitely not possible to get into the office today,” he said.

Asked when the police might conclude their processes, Mohammed said that decision rested entirely with the security agency.

“You have to confirm from the police. We are waiting for the police to let us know when to resume,” he added.

On the legal dispute surrounding the secretariat, Mohammed dismissed claims by the Turaki-led leadership that the matter was still in court.

“The court has done its job and given judgment in our favour,” he said, warning that any attempt by the rival faction to repeat the violent scenes witnessed at the secretariat in November would be met with “the full weight of the law.”

“They are free to air their views as citizens. But any attempt to do what they did in the past, they will face the full wrath of the law,” he warned.

Turaki group plots counter-move

Meanwhile, Daily Trust learnt from sources close to the Turaki-led leadership that plans were underway to counter any attempt by the Wike-backed group to occupy the secretariat if the police opened the premises.

A party source insisted that the legal process had not been concluded and described the announcement by the Caretaker Committee’s national secretary as “playing to the gallery.”

“I can tell you that the Turaki-led leadership is ready to resume at Wadata Plaza if the police open the office,” the source said.

According to him, granting access to one faction would amount to the police taking sides in a dispute that remains before the courts.

The source added that while the Turaki-led leadership considers itself law-abiding and committed to peace, it would not allow the rival faction to occupy the secretariat “illegally.”

“They will not do anything to jeopardise peace or damage party property, but they will not allow the Wike camp to take over the place outside the law,” the source said.

Why the secretariat was sealed

The PDP secretariat was sealed in November following a violent clash between rival factions loyal to Wike and the Turaki-led leadership, which enjoys the backing of PDP governors and their supporters.

Supporters of both camps, alongside security operatives and party members, engaged in a free-for-all fight at the headquarters, leading to the firing of teargas canisters and injuries to several persons.

The incident also triggered a political standoff between Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, on one side, and the FCT minister on the other.

The following day, November 19, the police barricaded the secretariat to prevent both factions, which had vowed to storm the office, from gaining access.

Shortly after the lockdown, the Turaki-led leadership approached the court, seeking an order to take over the premises as the authentic leadership of the party.

Speaking to journalists at INEC headquarters last Thursday, Anyanwu said his faction was prepared to take over the secretariat on Monday.

He recalled that the building was sealed following clashes between party factions and said efforts by the other group to get the police to reopen the office had failed.

“We wrote to the police. Remember that the police sealed the place and then the other group went to court to ask the police to open it. The matter was dismissed because they have no locus,” Anyanwu declared.

He insisted there was no faction in the PDP, maintaining that the party remained under the leadership of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee, which he said explained why the group attended INEC’s meeting with political parties.

“Yes, we had court issues, and last week Friday, the Federal High Court in Ibadan made it very clear that the problem of PDP is over because the so-called convention of November 15 and 16, 2025, is a nullity,” he said.

Reacting, Ememobong said the Turaki-led leadership had been notified of plans by what he described as “some expelled members” to forcibly or in collusion with security agencies gain access to the party’s national secretariat.

He said the leadership had written to the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, reminding them that the secretariat remains the subject of ongoing litigation at the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the Court of Appeal.

According to him, any attempt to grant access to the building before the conclusion of the cases would amount to self-help and an affront to the authority of the courts.

INEC distances itself from factional claims

Amid the controversy, INEC has clarified that the attendance of the Anyanwu-led Caretaker Committee at its recent engagement with political parties does not amount to recognition of one faction over another.

Speaking in an interview, INEC’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, said the commission formally invited the PDP as a party, not any faction within it.

“Invites are sent to the party, not to individuals,” Ifogah said, explaining that letters are usually addressed to the party chairman and secretary.

He stressed that INEC does not determine which officials attend its meetings, noting that the commission accepts whoever a party presents as its representatives.

Responding to concerns that only the Anyanwu-led working committee attended the meeting, Ifogah dismissed suggestions that INEC had recognised that group to the exclusion of others.

“I didn’t know you are the one calling it faction,” he said, adding that the commission does not concern itself with internal party divisions.

According to him, party representatives often introduce themselves at such meetings, sometimes stating whether they are standing in for substantive officers.

“As far as the party is concerned, we are not sure who comes. It’s just the party that sends people,” he said.

Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works.

Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.